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Secret Garden Unveiled

A Secret garden in Herefordshire unveiled for the first time at Berrington Hall, near Leominster.

Ever wanted to see a real-life secret garden? The National Trust has announced it will be opening the door to a rare curved walled garden in Herefordshire which has remained locked for the past 150 years – and it will be the only one in the country open to the public.

The conservation charity will be embarking upon an extensive restoration project to revive the unique curved walled garden at Berrington Hall near Leominster, which is now back in its care having been used to house livestock for over a century.

The final masterpiece from Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown – Britain’s most famous landscape architect of the 18th century – the curved walled garden will be opened to the public for the first time on Saturday 6 July. Visitors will be able to see first-hand the vital conservation work that is currently underway to revive the iconic garden into a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy.

The garden is one of only two ‘Capability’ Brown designed curved walled gardens in the country, and with the other in private ownership, Berrington Hall’s will be the only one in the country open to the public.

A horticultural installation is currently being designed for visitors to enjoy over the next two years, whilst an extensive fundraising programme for restoration of the curved walled garden gets underway.

As part of the installation, hundreds of colourful climbing plants, sunflowers and sub-tropical plants are set to be planted, as well as a number of vegetables such as French beans, runner beans, tomatoes and pumpkins, reflecting the variety of produce that would have originally been found in the working garden.

Visitors can donate to the cause at: nationaltrust.org.uk/appeal/berringtons-georgian-garden-restoration

David Bailey, General Manager at Berrington Hall, said: “We’re delighted to start work on restoring this rare masterpiece and returning it to the garden it once was. The curved walled garden at Berrington Hall is a living, breathing space with its own story to tell – it’s a direct link to the history, landscape and lives of local people, and our aim is to bring this back to life for ever, for everyone.

“As a charity, we rely upon the generosity of supporters to look after the places in our care. We hope that by opening the doors at this early stage in the project we can show visitors first-hand the urgent work that is required to restore this historically significant garden, and encourage as many people as possible to get involved.”

W: nationaltrust.org.uk/berrington-hall